Sam Gifford Discovers Love In The Midst of Pandemic Challenges with EP, ‘A Second Of Love’

UK based artist, Sam Gifford joins us to talk all about his latest EP release, ‘A Second Of Love’.

With a passion to create impact and to move his listeners within his anthemic rock sound, Sam creates music with themes of finding hope, courage, beauty and redemption throughout the struggle of everyday life.

You may have caught Sam Gifford in a line-up along the UK festival scene or during his shows in Germany. Sam plays an energetic and atmospheric show, supported by a full band and filled with a relaxed spontaneity.

Following the success of his debut EP, ‘Man Made’, Sam Gifford is back with his latest four track EP release, ‘A Second Of Love’.

“When you take a picture on a camera with a slow shutter speed, objects in motion often appear blurred and distorted. However, the objects which remain perfectly still will be seen in focus.”

The songs on the EP explore the depth of the unmoveable, with love being at the centre of focus, and contain a lyrical immersion, filled with maturity and colour.

The title track on the EP begins as an emotional feeling acoustic sound and the warmth in the sound of Sam’s vocals draws you straight into the heart of the lyrical message of the overall theme.

As you move to ‘Gang of Thieves’, ‘Shadows In The Dark’ and ‘Run The Red Light’, the feel turns into Sam Gifford’s signature feel of catchy anthemic rock and create a soundscape that will have you playing the tracks over and over again.

You can listen to ‘A Second of Love’ below:

Would you like to start by telling us a little about yourself?

My name is Sam Gifford.

I was born and raised in Bedfordshire, England.

I am a huge football fan and a loyal supporter of Watford football club.

I regularly enjoy other sports such as tennis and swimming (I realise this is starting to sound a bit like a dating profile…).

Since 2019 I have been teaching music to children in primary schools as my day job and it was in 2016 that I began writing, performing, and recording my own music.

What was it that first inspired you to begin a career in music?

In late 2016, I had moved away from home to study music at university.

Prior to the move, I had been too insecure to sing in public.

I had been in many bands and had grown to feel quite comfortable on stage, but as the drummer rather than a frontman.

However, when I arrived at university, I decided it would be a good opportunity to re-invent myself, seeing as everyone around me had no idea who I was.

For all they knew, I could have been song-writing and singing in public for all my life.

Following this epiphany, I began following the mantra which I still follow to this day, ‘fake it until you make it’.

This is something I say to myself before getting on stage to this day.

How would you describe the feel of your music?

My goal as a songwriter has always been to move the listener, whether it is through the lyrics or the instrumentation.

I aspire to give the listener the very same feeling I have myself when first listening back to my new songs.

In my songs, I often refer to themes of hope, doubt, fear, heartbreak and the idea of seizing the moment.

I hope these themes allow my music to feel honest, healing and emotive.

You have recently released your EP, ‘A Second Of Love’.. what was the inspiration behind the creation of this EP?

In December 2019, I completed the lyric ‘a second of love lasts longer than years without’.

These words became the foundation for the project.

They carry the idea that whilst love is our stronghold in moments of pain and suffering, pain and suffering are forgotten in the presence of love.

Going into the year that was 2020, these lyrics only became more relevant as I began writing within the heartbreak and difficulties of a worldwide pandemic, a national lockdown and a world more divided than ever.

In these moments, we all held on to hope and love and I believe that you can hear that hopefulness across this EP.

What do the songs on the EP mean to you?

I feel enormous pride when I listen back to these songs because I feel as though these are the best songs I have ever recorded.

However, these songs are more than just an achievement to have released.

When I hear these songs, I will forever be transported to that very difficult time where I couldn’t go to work, I couldn’t see my friends and I couldn’t perform my music live, but the stars aligned so that I could record these songs with my friends in the studio within a very tight window.

I will forever look back at these songs as my refuge in such a difficult year.

What did the creative process look like for ‘A Second Of Love?

Mostly it’s just me in my bedroom, looking out the window late at night, playing random chords and mumbling nonsense over the top of them until something springs from my sub conscious and begins to sound like a song.

Over 2020, I experienced writer’s block and I was dissatisfied with the music I was making and so this forced me into trying different approaches such as writing on new instruments rather than a guitar or piano (such as an organ which you can hear in track two, ‘Gang of Thieves’), writing in different locations (like in the garden) and listening to different kinds of music.

Where do you find your inspiration for your music?

I think my greatest source of inspiration comes from watching over artists perform live.

Whilst most people in the audience are carefree, singing along and enjoying the show, I can’t help but analyse every arrangement, stage move, guitar tone, song transition etc.

Over 2020 when I was writing the EP, I watched documentaries on all my favourite artists such as ‘A Head Full of Dreams – Coldplay’, ‘Letter to You – Bruce Springsteen’ and many livestreams from the band Switchfoot.

These would remind me of why I loved music so much in a time where I was not able to access the thing I loved the most in the same way.

How has Covid-19 impacted your release?

In many ways, the 2020 lockdowns were largely beneficial for me from a song writing perspective.

In the past, I have always placed successful artists on a pedestal, at a standard that is unattainable and out of reach.

However, over lockdown, I began thoroughly and methodically analysing the work of my favourite artists so that I may manipulate elements of their music to use in my own. In particular, I looked to Coldplay.

I listened to their entire discography, taking notes on the instrumentation, song structure, use of melodic motifs etc.

Lockdown gave me a time to evaluate my own music in a way that would not have been possible otherwise.

What would you like to see happen for you in your music from here?

Following the release of my EP, I have set attainable goals for myself and my audience. I recently made a deal with my followers on social media promising to donate £100 to the ‘Trees for Cities’ charity should they get me to 1,000 followers on Spotify by the end of January.

I also printed 500 CDs of the EP from which I am giving £1 of each sale to the same charity.

These are some very tangible goals that I would love to see fulfilled in the coming months.

Raising a possible £600 pounds for ‘Trees for Cities’ would go a long way in combating climate change and making the UK a healthier place to live.

What is one message you would like to share with your fans?

I would just like to say thank you for all the encouragement since the beginning of this project.

I would encourage you to spread the word about my music, go and support live music where possible and listen to unsigned artists (because they work pretty hard!).

Where can people find your music?

I can be found under the domain @samgiffordmusic on all social media.

On your chosen music platform, search for ‘Sam Gifford’.

I also have a website (samgiffordmusic.com) from which you can buy the ‘A Second of Love’ EP CD and help donate to a great cause in the process.